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“Thank You For Your Service”, a photography exhibit of men and women who have served in the military, opens Wednesday, June 28th in the Ellebracht Gallery of the Sue Ross Arts Center. The exhibit runs through Saturday, August 26th. The art center is open Monday through Friday 11 am to 4 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm. The exhibit includes former military members from Adair, Macon, Schuyler, Sullivan and Putnam counties. A closing reception will be held Thursday, August 24th from 5:30 to 7 pm and will include a presentation of five quilts by the Hands of Friendship Quilt Guild. This is the second year the arts association and the quilt guild have collaborated on this event. The quilts are also on display in the arts center.

The Kirksville Arts Association says the Veterans Clinic at the School of Law at the University of Missouri is doing Tigers for Troops Kirksville, free legal consultations for veterans regarding disability compensation and discharge upgrades. That’s today, July 6th, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Kirksville Arts Association at 215 South Franklin Street in Kirksville. These are one-on-one consulations. You can register for free online, or by calling 573-882-7630.

The Kirksville Arts Association says the Aaron Russell Band, one of the area’s favorite groups, will be performing at Summer on the Square, Friday, July 7th at 7 pm. Bring your lawn chairs or blanket and enjoy an evening of great music. Aaron Russell plays country, classic rock, gospel, original and patriotic music-something for everyone! Join us on the Adair County Courthouse lawn for this free performance.

From the $8,000 set aside so the Lone Jack Police Department could buy rifles to $46 million for an allied health building at St. Louis Community College, Gov. Mike Parson’s veto ax fell heavily on earmarked spending as he finished work on the coming year’s Missouri budget.

Parson announced his actions late Friday on the $51.8 billion budget approved by lawmakers in May, with only eight hours left before the start of the new fiscal year. In all, he made 201 vetoes, cutting $555.3 million by reducing some lines but more often eliminating items entirely.

In almost every veto, Parson cited the need to maintain the state’s strong financial position. There is a tax cut bill that would reduce revenue by $300 million awaiting action, the vetoes state, and the overall budget increases annual general revenue spending by $200 million.

Little Dixie Regional Libraries (LDRL) is pleased to announce fishing poles and equipment is available for checkout through a partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). This partnership is working to make fishing more accessible through MDC’s Rod and Reel Loaner Program to Missourians in rural areas.

Through the Rod and Reel Loaner program, patrons within Randolph and Monroe Counties can check out fishing poles and tackle boxes for free at their local library. Fishing poles are easy to use and designed for beginners and intermediate users. The tackle boxes are supplied with hooks, sinkers and bobbers for basic fishing opportunities. Patrons will need to use their own live bait or desired lures to bait the hook.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced Missouri will receive more than $1.7 billion through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, part of the federal Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA). Missouri’s BEAD program allocation ranks as the third highest among all states, the District of Columbia, and five territories.

The City of Kirksville will be hosting the Red, White and Blue Festival this weekend. The Kirksville Police Department would like everyone to take heed of the following no parking areas during certain times to accommodate the events. On Saturday, July 1, 2023, from 5:00 am to 12:00 pm there will be no parking on Franklin Street, from Missouri Street to Jefferson Street; Washington Street, between Franklin Street and Main Street; Elson Street, between Washington Street and McPherson Street; and in the Downtown Cinema 8 parking lot. This will allow for setup, the events to happen, then the cleanup. The City of Kirksville will also host a firework display at 9:30 pm on July 1, 2023, at the North Park Complex at 2710 N. Novinger St. Kirksville Police would like to make the public aware that Emmett Street, between Novinger Street and Lincoln Street, will be closed from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm to allow fire and emergency personnel to create a safety buffer zone near where the firework display will be discharged. There will be no parking or driving on this portion of Emmett Street during this time. Emmett Street, between Novinger Street and Lincoln Street, will be opened up at the conclusion of firework display. Kirksville Police will not be directing traffic on any of the streets around North Park at the conclusion of the fireworks display. Police ask that the public be patient and make plans for their safe exit after the event.

The City of Kirksville’s Police and Parks and Recreation Departments are asking for citizen help in watching for and reporting instances of vandalism in parks and other community public spaces. Over the past month there has been an increase in vandalism in City parks. That includes damaged gravestones at Forest-Llewellyn Cemetery, a destroyed shelter at Patryla Park, offensive graffiti throughout the parks system, and most recently, destroyed trees at Memorial Park and along Washington Street in Downtown Kirksville. The City of Kirksville often uses community partnerships and grant opportunities to improve community spaces and provide Kirksville with attractive facilities. Vandalism and property destruction disrupts the availability and enjoyment of these community spaces, while also forcing City staff to use time and resources that could have been spent elsewhere. As a reminder, all Parks and Recreation facilities are closed between the hours of 11:00 pm and 5:00 am. Other than approved commercial displays for special events, there are no fireworks allowed in any park. Vandalism, including graffiti, damage to trees, or other forms of destruction of property in the parks or community spaces, is a crime. We ask that if you see vandalism or other inappropriate activities occurring in the parks, that you contact the Kirksville Police Department.

The Fourth of July is right around the corner and the City of Kirksville knows how excited everyone is to use fireworks. As a reminder, fireworks may only be used within the City from June 30 to July 5, between the hours of 9:00 am and 11:00 pm, on your own property. However, if a complaint is received and verified by the Kirksville Police Department as a disturbance of the peace, discharging shall immediately cease. Those complaints can be made on the non-emergency line at 660.665.5621. This spring has been exceptionally dry, with all of Kirksville being in a severe drought area as of June 15, and little rain forecasted over the next two weeks. Because of those conditions, please use additional caution when using fireworks this year.

City offices will be closed on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in observance of Independence Day. Offices will reopen on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, for regular business hours. The Kirksville Aquatic Center will be open for regular hours most of the holiday weekend, but will close at 5:00 pm on Saturday, July 1 and Tuesday, July 4.